"Really?" Reinhard turned to look at her with interest. "How did you end up joining then?"
Rika’s expression grew more thoughtful. "I accidentally discovered a Void Distortion last year during my first year. My senses felt it forming even though I didn’t understand what it was at the ti."
"And you follow the feeling-"
"Yes... It was a bit silly when I think about it." Rika said with a nervous chuckle.
"It’s fine. I can relate to following my senses and ending up in a bad situation."
"Oh? Like?"
"I heard a strange noise coming from the training yard at the Malvin House. And when I followed it, I saw my mother practicing with her water Sigil."
"But?"
Reinhard felt the mory pass through him. "She was doing a whirlpool with it, and well, I thought it was cool-"
"Don’t tell you actually rushed into it?" Rika asked in disbelief, with her lips twitching.
Reinhard nodded with a chuckle, making Rika begin laughing.
The original of the body was more awestruck by the spinning whirlpool that covered the entire field. Then, following the advice his father had given him when his mother was training in the yard.
Do not disturb your mother.
"Alright, that was pretty bad. I guess your mother noticed you quickly?"
"It’s hard to miss a screaming child moving through a whirlpool."
Rika laughed again, crossing her arms over her stomach. He smiled, watching her relax even further before she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Then she paused.
Rika began speaking with a dazed look. "Well, for ... I would have been in serious trouble if Sirin hadn’t dragged away from it. The Headmaster ca to deal with the distortion himself."
"That’s how you two t," Reinhard said softly.
Rika nodded with a small smile. "When Sirin found out I could sense Void Distortions, she tried every thod imaginable to get to join her club. She was relentless about it."
Reinhard laughed at the ntal image of Sirin in recruitnt mode. "I can easily imagine that. She strikes as the type who doesn’t take no for an answer when she wants sothing."
"Exactly!" Rika giggled. "She cornered at least five tis in one week. Brought research papers about distortions. Explained how important detection was. Made logical argunts about helping people."
She grew quiet for a mont. "Eventually, I agreed because... well, she was right. If I could sense sothing dangerous that others couldn’t, didn’t I have a responsibility to help?"
"I’ve been wondering," Reinhard said carefully. "How exactly can you sense Void Distortions? Is it related to your precognition, Sigil?"
Rika considered the question while watching the last rays of sunlight fade. "I’ve always been sensitive to the feel of magic. Even before I got my Sigil... The distortions... They create holes where magic should be. Does that make sense?"
"Do you an they create holes like a black spot on paper?" Reinhard mused while holding his chin thoughtfully with his free hand. "And the bigger they are... Is it harder to ignore them?"
"Yes!" Rika nodded in excitent. "But instead of seeing, I hear and feel it."
"How does it sound or feel?"
"Terrible is the best word I can give... Like, imagine hearing a constant ringing that gets louder the closer you are to the source."
"And you can’t ignore it," Reinhard said with understanding.
Rika sighed. "If it’s small, I can push it to the background. But the more it grows, the worse it becos. Eventually, it’s all I can focus on until it’s dealt with."
"I’m surprised you could still stay in class without wanting to rush out."
"I got used to it after... Lots of headaches." She stretched her arms overhead. "But it isn’t all bad since we always deal with them quickly. The club is efficient that way."
The last light faded from the sky, leaving stars visible overhead. The campus glowed softly with magical illumination below them.
"Thank you for today," Rika said while turning to face Reinhard fully. "For spending ti with ."
Reinhard smiled warmly. "This has been one of the best dates I’ve ever been on."
Rika’s face lit up with pure joy at those words. Her smile was radiant. "Really? You an that? Even though we hardly-"
"Just talking to you for most of it is what made it so amazing."
She bounced slightly on her feet with barely contained happiness. "Then let’s continue it! I want to talk to you more. There’s a garden area that should be quiet this ti of evening. We can sit and just... be together."
"Let’s go," Reinhard agreed with a smile.
They descended from the viewpoint hand-in-hand.
The evening air was cool but pleasant.
Other students passed them occasionally, but Rika seed too happy to be self-conscious anymore.
As they walked, Reinhard’s mind wandered to his previous life as a spy. Most dates in gardens during that ti had ended in one of two ways: either stunning mories of genuine connection, or hectic disasters when missions went wrong.
He found himself curious which category tonight would fall into. Part of him hoped for the forr.
The larger part suspected that with Void Distortions behaving strangely and noble students watching him suspiciously, hectic might be more likely.
But as Rika squeezed his hand and smiled up at him with such genuine affection, Reinhard decided he didn’t care which it ended up being.
For the first ti in years, he was living in the mont rather than constantly planning three steps ahead.
And it felt surprisingly good to just... exist with soone who cared about him.
The moonlight casts an ethereal glow over the garden, the silvery beams dancing and shimring as they filter through the canopy of leaves above. The blue flowers seem to glow from within, their petals almost luminous in the night air. The scene is one of tranquil beauty, a hidden oasis amidst the castle’s ancient stone walls.
Rika walks ahead of Reinhard, her lithe form silhouetted against the moonlight. She moves with a newfound grace, a gentle sway to her hips that catches your eye. As she steps into a particularly dense patch of blue flowers, they seem to whisper and sway around her, as if welcoming her presence.
Reaching the center of the garden, Rika cos to a stop and turns to face Reinhard. The moonlight bathes her face in a soft, glowing light, making her crimson eyes sparkle like rubies. She takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she savors the cool night air.
"It’s so peaceful here..." Sancho murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. She looks around, taking in the glowing flowers and the moonlit sky, a wistful smile playing about her lips. "Like a dream... or a mory of a distant ti."
She turns to Reinhard, her gaze soft and warm, a hint of lancholy lurking in the depths of her eyes. "Sotis I wonder what it would be like... to live in a world like this. Where the greatest worry is choosing which flower to admire." Rika sighs, a sound of longing and regret mingling with the gentle rustling of leaves.
"But I suppose that’s the beauty of a place like this... It’s a montary escape."
Reinhard squeezed her hand gently.
Then he looked into her eyes after pulling her into his arms and embracing her tightly.
Then he whispers. "A montary escape? I like the sound of that. I have been needing sothing like that."
"R-Really?"
"Yes, and now I have it... All because of you, thank you."
"You’re welco..." Rika whispered softly as she shivered from his touch.
Reinhard smiles before kissing her deeply, making her shiver in delight.
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